Eisenhower grew up on a farm in Abilene, Kansas. During World War I he served at Camp Colt in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Recalling his love for this small town in the foothills of the Appalachians, Eisenhower and his wife Mamie purchased a 189-acre farm in the Pennsylvania countryside near Gettysburg in 1950. Their plans to retire to the property were postponed when Eisenhower won the 1952 presidential election. The Gettysburg farm served as a weekend retreat during his two terms in office.

1. Why might Eisenhower have chosen to retire to a rural setting?

2. Note the farm's proximity to Washington, D.C. What would have been some of the advantages and disadvantages of this proximity during Eisenhower's presidency?

3. Locate Camp David, the presidential retreat that was only a short helicopter ride away from Gettysburg. Do you think it is important for the president of the United States to have access to Camp David? Why or why not?

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